Volkswagen Polo review

Driving position 

We road test a lot of cars, and most of the time we experience high-up seating positions, which are great for most people.  

They offer a good view of the road ahead and generally make parking easier, but the Polo is like a breath of fresh air, if you’d pardon the pun. 

Being a hatchback, you have a low driving position that – excuse the cliché – makes you feel like you’re driving a go-kart. You feel connected to the road in a way you just don’t with bigger, taller cars.  

This is entirely personal preference, but it almost reminds us of being 17 again and passing your test, and of course, the Polo is a great first car. 

Our particular test car was a manual, and we found everything to be positioned just where you’d like it. Plenty of adjustability in the steering wheel and the seat (albeit with manual levers). 

If you’ve sat in a Volkswagen Golf before, you’ll know what this seating position is like, and if you haven’t, we urge you to give it a go. 

There’s a reason Volkswagen has been making hatchbacks for over 50 years. 

Tech and features 

Volkswagen Polo trims 

– Life 

– Match 

– R-Line 

– Edition 50 

– Black Edition 

Volkswagen sells the Polo in a range of different trims, each building on the previous one. 

Our test car was the Polo Edition 50, which is a celebratory model to commemorate 50 years of the Polo. How time flies! 

This means it comes with ambient lighting, heated sports seats, added chrome accents, a multifunction leather steering wheel, a rear-view camera, parking assist features and different drive modes. Basically, it’s got everything on it. 

Integrated nicely into the dashboard is an eight-inch touchscreen display (6.5 inches in Life models). Behind the wheel is a 10.25-inch screen (or eight inches in lower trims). Both of these work very well together. 

The central screen is smooth and easy to use and has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but it does feel quite dated now, especially compared to the current Golf, Tiguan or Tayron.  

The reason we suspect the Polo still has the old setup is because of the newer all-electric ID. Polo, which has the new layout. 

Engines and power 

Volkswagen Polo performance stats 

– Power: 80hp, 95hp or 115hp 

– 0-62mph: 9.8 to 15.6 seconds 

– Top speed: 125mph 

– Driven wheels: Front-wheel drive (FWD) 

The Polo engine line-up is really simple.  

VW offers just one option: a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, but with a few different power outputs.  

The entry-level 80hp model is fine for town and city driving, but you’ll want the 95hp or 115hp version if you regularly travel on the motorway or want to have a bit of fun on country lanes. 

Regardless of which engine you choose, the Polo is comfortable to live with.  

Even when you get up to speed, it holds its own on a twisty back road, especially with the slick five-speed manual (a seven-speed DSG automatic is also available).  

Though if it’s fun you’re after, you should probably consider a Volkswagen Polo GTI with the much more powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, kicking out 207hp. 

On the motorway, the Polo feels refined and doesn’t lack much oomph when you’re zipping along at 70mph. It isn’t the quickest to get up to motorway speeds, but once you’re there, it’s fine. 

Handling and ride comfort 

Despite being a small hatchback, we were really impressed with how it handles Britain’s rough and ready road surfaces. 

The suspension does a great job at not throwing you around, and the car feels composed and planted to the road, unlike its smaller up! sibling, which can feel quite tall around the bends. 

At motorway speeds, there’s a considerable amount of road noise, but nothing out of the ordinary for a hatchback of this size. In fact, we’d say it’s in line with its Peugeot 208 and Ford Fiesta rivals. 

Boot space 

Volkswagen Polo boot space:  

– Boot space: 351 litres 

– Incl. rear seats folded: 1,380 litres 

The VW Polo can stand proud as far as boot space is concerned, at 351 litres (growing to 1,380 litres with the rear seats folded). 

By comparison, the Toyota Yaris has 286 litres, the MG3 has 291 litres, and the Peugeot 208 offers 311 litres. It even beats the go-to Fiesta, which has up to 311 litres. 

Rear seats 

Space in the rear seats is limited, to say the least. If the driver is above six feet, there’s little to no legroom, which can be an annoyance on longer drives. 

We drove our Polo with five adults inside on a short journey, and even that was a bit of a tight squeeze, let alone a motorway stint. 

Our recommendation would be to get a Golf if you need more space but still want to benefit from VW’s classy interior. 

Storage solutions 

The latest Volkswagen Polo is much more spacious than the old model. 

There’s loads of space in the front. You’ll find a pair of cupholders in between the front seats and well-sized door bins, but not much else, except for the glovebox. 

Volkswagen Polo dimensions  

– Height: 1,461mm 

– Width: 1,751mm 

– Length: 4,074mm 

– Kerb weight: 1,355kg 

Safety 

If you want to know just how safe the VW Polo is, ask Euro NCAP, which scored it a full five-star safety rating. 

As standard, you get a suite of airbags and three ISOFIX child seat mounting points (two in the back and one in the front seat). 

The Polo also comes with lane-keep assist and a front crash monitoring system, which helped it to get this top rating. 

Fuel economy 

This is a supermini, so you’d expect running costs to be reasonable. 

And you’d be right, with average economy from the 1.0-litre petrol engine topping out at around 54mpg. We managed to get around 45mpg in mixed driving, which we were very happy with. 

It makes them a good choice for first-time drivers who might not be able to afford regular top-ups. 

If you opt for more power, mpg falls into the 40s, while the GTI’s 2.0-litre unit is in the 30s. But this is to be expected. 

Reliability 

On the whole, the Volkswagen Polo is a reliable car.  

VW offers a three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which is standard for most car manufacturers. 

However, better options are available with other manufacturers, such as Toyota’s 10-year or Hyundai’s five-year/100,000-mile warranty.  

But parts are cheap, should you need to replace them. It’s worth checking out cinchServicing to find out more about keeping your car in tip-top condition.